This list is ordered to match the original posters list of the Top 25 Players in the League. So, please try to comment primarily on the selection of the historical counter part, instead off where the active player ranks on the list. My view differs pretty substantially.

This is in no way a crack on previous article or an attempt to leech off his work.

I enjoyed the slideshow event though, I disagreed with almost every selection. That's what's great about sports, we can all have strong opinions that are completely opposed to that of our fellow man (or woman, as the case may be).

I want your opinions on my selections and let me know if you disagree. On some of the players, I was searching for the best fit.

In some cases, albeit few, I agree with the original article and I thank Pat Mixon for posting. The article really got my blood flowing and started some great arguments with a couple of my friends. This is some of what we came up with. Some video has been included to support our conclusions and help readers considers some players they may only know a little about.

Each Player is matched to a former NBA player. Based on position, play style, and other factors mentioned with each slide.

(Go to the 2 minute mark if you want to learn how to properly cross a defender over.)

Now this is Stephen Curry:

On What planet, are Stephen Curry and Shris Mullin alike? If the original poster, wanted to pick someone from Run TMC, pick Tim Hardaway, at least he was a small guard with a great crossover and legit jumper. Other than team affiliation there is no comparison between the playstyles, position, or mode of operation between Curry and Mullin.

Mullin was slow footed but effective. A great scorer and teammate. But, please son! Did you see the video. It's gotta be Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf. (Chris Jackson is so much easier to say and spell.)

Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf (formerly known as Chris Jackson) a point-guard (really small combo guard) out of LSU is almost the perfect match for Stephen Curry if you are Looking for a predecessor.It is like a before and after shot where nothing changes except the hairdo.

.

Undersized for the NBA. Check.

Great range. Check.

Feather Touch.Check.

Lightning quick release. Check.

Insane, Space Creating Crossover. Check.

Incredible College Performances. Check and Check.

Textbook quality perimeter footwork. Check.

Complete Naturals on the Basketball Court. Check.

These two players have so much in common it is ridiculous. When I saw the Pat picked Chris Mullin my eyes almost popped out of my head. "On what planet?" I say. much in common.

Stephen Curry resemble Chris Jackson more than he resembles his own father.

MAhmoud Abdul-Rauf (Chris Jackson) was what is known as a "pure-shooter". This guy refused to let the ball touch the rim on free-throws and never saw a shot he could not make. And, in college he had some of the most overwhelming offensive outbursts in history.

No. 24: Russell Westbrook = Scottie Pippen. Disagree. Pick a Guard

Really I'm just throwing a name out there one this one. All I know is that there are much better comparisons than Pippen for Westbrook.

I have no strong opinion on a westbrook comparison, and really, I have no idea how he made the top 25 player list. (I am following the orginal posters format here.)

Someone make a suggestion on this one. I'm open, really open to alot of players here.

That said this is why I disagreed.

Russell Westbrook is a 6'3" point guard.

Scottie Pippen was a 6'8" forward with a face like easter Island and body that looked like it was chiseled out of granite and designed to be a decathelete.

There is simply no reasonable comparison between Pippen and Westbrook, outside of the fact that they both are/were teammates to a league scoring champion.

There are vitually no similarities in play style what-so-ever. Just two completely different players.

I think Russell Westbrook is stronger, but both have the speed and can push the pace as finishers on the break or setting up a teammate. Anyone who wants a pass from them on the break better sprint though.

If the original poster had selected any speedy guard with skills, I would have agreed, but, alas, he picked a forward. Check out Rod Strickland:

No. 23. Yao Ming = Bill Walton. Agree.

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

No. 23. Yao Ming = Bill Walton. Agree.

Nothing else to say really. I agree with Pat here.

Two big guys that changed franchises hopes, got the attention of the league, and plagues with foot injuries. Walton could have ended up being one of the top 3 centers ever if he never go hurt. He was extremely gifted.

Even with all the injuries he was easily got 50 greatest, because his college to pro pedigre prior to major injury was simply impeccable.

No. 22: Shaquille O’Neal = Wilt Chamberlain. Agree and Then Some.

I think Wilt was a lot more complete as a scorer, passer, and ball handler that O'Neal. Both were overwhelming from the very start of their pro careers. You have to draw comparisons, because of the free throw problems and the way the defenses and rules changed because of them.

I think Daryl Dawkins might be a better fit though. O'Neal and Dawkins are of the same mold and are not as multi-dimensional as Chamberlain. Wilt would score on you in so many more ways. He could power or finesse.

No. 21: Brandon Roy = Clyde Drexler. Disagree. Earl

This is a really tough one. I'm gonna need help here because my pick is a stretch. Please give me some other options in the comments. But, the more I think about it I like this pick.

All I know is that the only thing Brandon Roy and Clyde Drexler have in common is the same Jersey. Clyde Drexler was much bigger and stronger. He would literally put his head down and go to the rim. And, Clyde flew threw the air on his way to being one of the leading scorers in the history of the league.

Tough one.

This is my case for Earl "The Pearl" Monroe being a Brandon Roy prototype. The spin move.

Both, Earl and Brandon can post there man up on the run and, while approaching before they spen they represent a full triple threat. The can pass to the open man, hit the jumper, or make you pay with the straight up dribble drive. With all these options, both players chose to get their opponent on their hip and get the job done the same way your dad did you in the driveway.

These are guards that excelled and walking their many down and making the move before the help could come. That spin move put defense one the hips, because they increased there threat to pass without giving up the dribble or exposing the ball. The is no way to safely cheat off.

No. 20: Tim Duncan = Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Agree.

Two relatively quiet players that dominated the game at there position and were virtually unstoppable in their primes. Both, greatly complemented their teammates and were winners. When I think of Tim "The Big Fundamental" Duncan and Kareem Abdul-Jabaar I think of the word "technique".

Really, no one else has been as consistent as Tim Duncan in this era of mercurial, headline seeking stars. Even, if he bores you, you have to respect Tim Duncan. If it were not for him the Lakers might have one two more championships in the previous decade or Phoenix would have had some trips to the finals.

On the other hand, Kareem practically lived in the NBA finals for a decade. Duncan is often referred to as a power forward. I think this is a stretch, because of his extensive resume dismantling defense from the pivot.

Another similarity, is the dominance they had in college. The league knew these guys were coming well in advance and no Gm would have selected anyone ahead of them. I honestly wonder if any player from the same decade would have been selected before them. In terms of what you want on your team, these guys were almost without peer.

Jabaar had the most unique and probably indefensible weapon in the history of the game with his sky hook. It is amazing that center are not drilling in the execution of that one shot.

No. 19: Kevin Garnett = Bill Russell. Agree.

Two guys with great all-around games and will have a legacy as team players, champions, and Celtics.

The original poster hit the nail on the head, Garnett is more polished offensivley, yet he an Garnett share so much everywhere else. Neither, was physically so overwhelming (although Russell was an incredible athlete even by today's standards), but both of these guys play with their heart and with their head at the same time. I feel that it is complementary to both players to make this comparison.

These players maintain intimidation and enforce there will for the entire period they are on the court. No one ever seems to question the knowledge of the game held by either player.

Garnett may have brought back some of the culture that the Celtics had in the Russell years.

Can you believe the Celtics got Bill Russel in a trade from the Hawks. So, there is another similarity, both players arrived by trade.

No. 18: Steve Nash =

"Pistol" Pete was not given that name because of his passing. Nash is pass first, pistol shot first and people asked questions after the net cooled down. Stockton and Nash best pairing here.

Nash is so much closer to Stockton than Maravich. Only argument against is that Stockton was way, way better on defense and Nash has to stay in the high octane offense so as not to be a liability.

Any to Maravich is a stretch. But, maybe it could be acceptable because of the the hair. Nonetheless, Maravich was a scorer first and tended to be alot less offensively efficient than Stockton or Nash who hover around 50% in their shooting and are consistent league leaders in assists.

I wonder how Stoudemire will do over the season with New York creating his own shot from scratch?

Pierce is far more physical than West. I just can't comprehend this comparison.

Jerry West was a lights out, close the gym, and wait for the bus outside shooter, whereas Pierce has to bump and grind for his buckets.

Like Dantley, Cummings, Aguirre Baylor and Pierce used his body most plays to get his job done, so that would be the Laker to pick for him. The problem with these guys is that it is so hard to get any video online for them since they played in the 80s and were not high flyers or winners of championships.

Paul Pierce reminds me of quite a few guys that almost no one ever mentions.That list again is:

Ricky Pierce

Terry Cummings

Adrian Dantley

Mark Aguire

All these guys willed the ball into the basket. With the exception of Ricky Pierce none was even close to a pure shooter. Every single one of them was a pure scorer. These are the guys that win every game of 21, but never win a three-point shoot out. The just get the rock in the hole, even if if it goes in ugly.

For their respective eras Baylor and Dantely were probably a best overall talent. But, I think pierce has a lot more in common with the four on the list. Than he does with "The Logo."

Derrick Rose to me is like a Kevin Johnson retread. Just bigger and stronger with less of a Mid Range Jumper. And, for Chicago, this is the good type of retread.

Kevin Johnson was more explosive and athletic, in my opinion. For anyone who doesn't know who Kevin Johnson was (mostly those under 35) watch the a link to the KBlaze mix (above).

Then this Derrick Rose Mix.

As far as Dennis Johnson, hear me out on this one. I know it sounds like a stretch, but I think Dennis Johnson is remembered for his latter years not his prime.Most people think of Dennis Johnson with the Celtics and during his declining years.

But, Dennis Johnson with the Phoenix Suns and Seattle Supersonics. DJ could penetrate, run the break, lacked a significant perimeter game. That's why I compare him to Derrick Rose, you can play off both guys and challenge them to beat you from 17 to 19 feet. And, like Rose, Denniss Johnson was a guy that you did not want anywhere near your passing lane. (With DJ, the man he was on was gonna get locked down unless his name was Jordan.)

And, a few years he got himself some votes for regular season MVP and won himself a Finals MVP with the Sonics. He definitely did not have the kind of elevation that Derrick Rose had, but DJ was a baller - don't let the short-shorts fool you DJ could play. If you don't Like Dennis Johnson for this spot try

Kevin Johnson, is probably the better fit though. Would definitely like to here other suggestion on this one. Please comment.

Impossible to see your comparison to Stockton. Tony parker is far more similar to Kevin Johnson or Kenny Anderson.

But i will welcome your suggestion on a viable alternate, because I found it hard to find a Parker Predecessor that was the definite right one. This is another one where I really welcome comments.

Stockton and Parker have almost nothing in common in terms of play style or statistical contribution to their team. Tony Parker's game is about speed pure and simple. Stockton's game was about control and positioning - he knew his passing lanes and he knew your passing lanes.

The guy was a basketball genius. Stockton (in his prime) was a dime dropping machine. He had 9 seasons in a row better than 10.5 assists a game. All-Time Leader in steals and assists! Stockton played way past his prime and still average a career double-double.and he is much more of score first guard, as opposed to stockton was pass first. Stockton probably ran the best pick and roll ever, which is why I suggested the change (see Nash Post) Steve Nash = John Stockton.

Tony Parker has never even averaged a full 7.0 assists a game. That is why, I am insisting on picking someone else. There is just no grounds for a Stockton/Parker comparison.

I'm going with Kenny Anderson and Kevin Johnson to get lefties with narrow shoulders, nitro boosts, and decent jumpers (nothing to write home about, but decent).

No. 14. Amar’e Stoudemire = Hakeem Olajuwon. Disagree. Shawn Kemp.

Olajuwan a high-post/low-post center and one of the most complete all-around players the game has ever seen the Amar'e is offense only most games, a power-forward that won't rebound or commit his body on defense. It is an insult to Olajuwan.

Kemp to Stoudemire is a great comparison as a couple of the other readers also pointed out. The athleticism, the highlights. Kemp in his prime was probably better, in my opinion. Olujawan was just too fantastic every where. Scoring (every move and the book, plus the "Dream Shake"), rebounding, shot blocking, and steals, great position defense, and leadership.

Amar’e Stoudemire could be Shawn Kemp's kid (he really could Kemp has a lot of baby mama's). Other posters on the original article thought this as well. Another guy I could see Stoudemire compared to is Orlando Wooldrige. Kemp is really the best fit though.

Here is a Orlando Wooldridge doing his between the legs dunk before Isiah Rider was born. And he only get a 48 from the judges. Tough crowd!

Oooh, I found a Wooldridge mixtape!!!!

Hakeem Olojuwan was true franchise player - Stoudemire has a lot to do to prove in New York. .

No. 13. Chris Bosh = James Worthy. Disagree. Undecided.

Chris Graythen/Getty Images

No. 13. Chris Bosh = James Worthy.

Disagree.

SUBSTITUTE: Chris Bosh = ?????

Really gotta think about that - Someone Help me with a pick on this one. please.

I really see no part of what James Worthy great in Chris Bosh at all. Worthy was a slasher in the half court and one of the best in history at filling the lane on the break. Him and Bosh play different positions and bring different skill sets to the table. I just know Worthy doesn't fit here.

The guys are so different that making this a match would take real effort.

Someone find a me a better one that what the original poster had, please.

Michael Ray Richardson gave a way gifts God gives so few, for drugs. Sad story. But this was a big strong point guard that could get to teh rack or hurt you with a jumper.

If Baron Davis was retired, I would go with him for this pick. Deron Williams reminds me a lot of Baron Davis. But, I gotta give some props to Michael Ray Richardson a forgotten talent.

Deron Williams is that big "body guard" Kenny Smith talks about. He is a match-up problem, you almost have to cover him with a 2 or a 3 to get a big enough body on him. However, if a team tries that, they simply have nothing for his speed and the way he stretched the court.

Williams is just to big to be compared to Oscar Robertson. On this one, I will take some suggestions too. Been trying to figure who Deron Williams reminds me of for some time. It's gotta be someone who has the change of pace he has.

No. 11: Chris Paul = Isiah Thomas. Agree.

Not a bad pick on Pat's Part. I almost gave this a free pass, but I want to test the waters with Oscar Robertson here and see how much flack I get for it.

This is a stretch, because "The Big O", may be the the True G.O.A.T. and his rebounding and scoring far outpaced what Paul does. There are quite a few small point guards that can be used here I think. Calvin Murphy, Nate Archibald, might be good options too.

The thing about Chris Paul that reminds of Oscar is his efficiency on the court, particularly from range. Paying homage where it is due. No conversation about the greatest players aver to play the game can go far without putting Oscar Robertson in the Top 5. Chris Paul will never get to where Oscar ranks.

My father used to talk about him when I wasa kid, and i had to dig to find out what the big deal was. Oscar Robertson was a BIG deal.

I'm pushing Oscar Robertson her because both he an Chris Paul represent really strong point guards and I really think Chris Paul has a very special and complete game. And Chris Paul really seems to set into his long ranged jumpers. I'm going with Oscar here and seeing if it gets a response.

No. 10: Joe Johnson = Rick Barry. Disagree. Joe Dumars.

These guys cold be father and son. Look at their games and on court demeanor. These guys are both physical, square-up shooters with range for days.

Both are quiet on the court and do their damage almost silently. No better comparison for Joe Johnson than Joe Dumars. The even position themselves on defense the same way. Great fundamentals. .THere is a Dumars video (Above).

This is one of the picks I disagreed with the most. This was one of those that made me feel like the list might have been a troll.

No. 9 Rajon Rondo = Sam Jones. Disagree. Gary Payton

Gary Payton. I selected him for the pure grit in his defense and the steals. Payton was vastly superior in terms of offensive production and probably a better all around player.

I'm a bit biased, but I think Gary Payton was one of the best point guards ever to cuss people out on the court. Payton's on the ball defense was just smothering. He was like a talking blanket with six hands - and kleptomania.

I'd also be open to comparisons to Mookie Blaylock another pick pocket and easy fan favorite. Though, again, because of the defense. Here's a taste of Mookie.

Or maybe, from the Celtics, Bob Cousy, (again) because of the defense and I have seen a bit of Cousy footage and for his day he was an AND1 tape.

Both Cousy and Blaylock were great in the passing lanes, and Cousy like Rondo couldn't shoot his way out of a paper bag. If you get a chance check out some old Cousy footage. In a very stiff era, Cousy really made the game look like fun.

I'm throwing Dennis Johnon in there, because again Rondo lacks a threatening jumper, but plays some of the best defense at his position. In one of the other posts, I went on about the qualities of Dennis Johnson.Because Jason Kidd is still an active player, I am not going to use him to respect the limitations the original poster used.

No. 8: Pau Gasol = Kevin McHale. Kinda Disagree. Vlade Divac

Yeah, these guys are centers, but Pau plays a lot more like a foward/center so it might be fair.

McHale was tough, Pau is a softie. Pau is smooth, McHale was "herky-jerky".

Pau's a tough one to make a good comparison though.

I immediately reject McHale, becasue McHale NEVER passed the ball out of the post. McHale could not play in a triangle offense. The guy shot like 60% from the field though, so when the ball went into the post and into the rim most of the times he touched it. It might have taken awhile (So, many pump fakes, drop steps, and reverse spins... I have no idea how he managed to keep his pivot foot down!)

Get some Vlade out of this Kings Mix though. Closer to Pau.

Maybe the original poster was on to something with McHale, but I have never seen before or after a player that reminds me of Kevin McHale.

I think Daugherty, Divac, McAdoo, or Sikma might be a better comparison. Both were smooth bigs, could swoop through the lane, and work out of any position on the floor.

No. 7: Dirk Nowitzki = Larry Bird Agree. No better comparison

Dirk Nowitzki best compares to Bird.Bird was alot more hard nosed and wlling to be a lot ore workmanlike. It was my good privilege to be a basketball junkie when bird and Magic battled. Bird was the best pick here.

Larry Bird like Dirk was an inside out player. Could score from anywhere and had the height to shoot over most defenders and great moves off the elbow. I gotta say Bird was more creative and exuded a lot more confidence than Dirk from tipoff to final buzzer.

How can you compare Dwyane Wade and shooting guard to a forward famous for following up his own shot. You simply don't. And How did Dwyane Wade end up as the 6th best player in the NBA today on the original list.

Baylor was a phenomal scorer (for his day) took the game to the air, but David Thompson attacked the rim with the reckless abandon you see out of Wade and slapped away shots on the break with the similar athleticism.

David Thompson is a much better "prototype" for wade than Baylor. Baylor took it to the rack to but in a totally different way. David Thompson was making plays at risk of injuring himself. That is Dwyane to a Tee.

And I'm gonna Say Michael Jordan here as well. Wade has incredible tenacity when attacking the rim and he is s clutch as it gets in the league. He's effective everywhere Jordan was and perhaps just as physically gifted.

This is a much more relevant comparison of play styles. David Robinson had a completely developed set of offensive skills, Dwight Howard is still very raw. Darryl Dawkins fits way better.

David Robinson had so many more moves, better range, and a vastly superior shooting touch out to mid range. Dwight Howard athleticism and ferocious rim attacks are incredibly similar to the work done by Daryl "Chocolate Thunder" Dawkins.

This guy was a physically gifted high school phenom like Dwight Howard and has almost the exact same strengths and weaknesses on the court.

The comparison is pretty fair.

This is David Robinson. Completely different player. The only thing he has in common with Dwight Howard is HUGE Biceps. When healthy, David Robinson was an absolute scoring machine (he did everything right), right now Dwight Howard is basically a "dunk-bot" on offense.

Darryl Dawkins appears on this list a second time, sorry guys. Had no choice. I could accept Moses Malone in this spot though.

No. 4: Carmelo Anthony = George

George Gervin is to thin. I really think that Len Bias (I know he never played a pro game) I more similar to Carmello Anthony.

It is more than a little unfair to use Len Bias in a comparison. But, He an Carmello represent two very physical scorers, who also have the ability to let the game flow though them. I think the Aurebach saw that in Bias.

Len Bias was the Truth. He could have been better than the hype, if that is possible. Unlimited potential, this guy had. His death was one of the saddest events in the history of the sport of basketball. The Celtics are only now recovering from his death and the death of Reggie Lewis.

Coming out of College Len Bias looked like the guy you build your city around not just your team. If you never heard of Len Bias, imagine Jordan with bigger muscles and he was just a kid.. Yeah, it was like that and the Celtics Drafted him.

I'm going with Bias, because of the Maryland connection he shares with Carmello.

In any case. I'll drop him on Lebron's slide to, cause he was that good.

No. 3: Kevin Durant = Alex English or Dr. J. Agree With Alex English.

Though I disagree with the comparison to Dr. J. (Durant does not have the swooping play of Erving), he does have the smooth game of Alex English.He is a better overall scorer than English. Durant Like English can hurt you from everywhere with relative ease.

Erving was more of an athlete and had less of a perimeter game. Wow! Incredible you thought of Alex English a Hall of Famer so many forget. But Honestly, I have never seen anyone like Kevin Durant.

George Gervin. One of the smoothest scorers ever. I'm picking Gervin for his length, body type and pure scoring ability. Gervin was an absolute matchup nightmare for other teams, but never lost his cool.

I like the original posters attempt to tie him to Dr. J, but it is just hard for me to see how their games are in any way comparable. Dr. J applied a very limited perimiter game.

Of course, it is hard to find a perfect comparison for Durant -but the Dr. J / Connie Hawkins type players are a different category altogether.

No. 2: LeBron James = Magic Johnson. Agree.

LeBron James is physically a beast. I can definitely see the comparisons to Magic, particularly if LeBron starts spending more of his time at point. Physically, Len Bias was the Lebron James body type 25 years ahead of schedule.

I really think that LeBron James a once every 2 generations kinda of athlete. That why I, I have Len Bias in here. You just have to wonder, "What if?" when it comes to Bias, because of the physical gifts he had and the incredibly high skill level to boot.

I see LeBron as somewhere in Between the power game of Barkley (LeBron does alot less work on the boards) and the facilitating game of Magic. To this Day, I think Magic Johnson is underated. The NBA championship basically went through him from his rookie year when he started center for and injured Jabaar and won finals MVP - 42 Points, 15 Rebounds, 7 Assists, and Three Steals.

Even more than LeBron, Magic was the complete package. A 6'9' point guard who could blow up your center if he felt like it.

LeBron actually reminds me more of Charles Barkley though. Much more than Magic. Magic used the power of position most of the time. Barkley used position, but when that failed he simply overpowered larger players to do what he needed to do.

Overall though magic might be the best comparison. James is such a hybrid. So, good call really.

Len Bias was a player like this as well. Right in between Barkley and Magic. A bigger Jordan.